Baby born with teeth, but it's not as rare as you might think

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (WDAF) -- A Kansas City, Kansas mom recently contacted FOX 4 to report that her baby had been born with teeth. It is rare, but not as rare as you might think.

De'Syiah Baker gets lots of kisses as any two-month-old should. She also has people tugging on her chin to see her teeth. Two bottom ones. The pearls were pink nubs at birth with a little gum tissue covering them. It was big news to her mom, Tracey Howard, in the delivery room.

"Like uh, she got teeth and I was like what do you mean she got teeth? Like I was just scared really," said Howard.

Photos of the adorable baby girl:

Natal teeth, those present at birth, or neonatal teeth, those erupting just after birth, occur in about one in three thousand babies. The roots are often not completely formed.

"Often times what you see is that tooth is loose or it may loosen with time," said Dr. Emily Drake, a pediatric dentist in Westport.

When they are loose, they have to come out since the baby could swallow or inhale them.

"She might choke or whatever so I'm dealing with that worrying about teeth like oh, Lord, the teeth gonna fall out," said Howard.

But at De'Syiah's two-week check-up, it was obvious they were in there firmly.

"Guess what they gave me? A toothbrush and toothpaste," said Howard.

De'Syiah gets daily cleanings of her incisors. It's not her favorite activity. It is a reminder to all new parents.

"Whenever the first tooth first erupts in the mouth, start brushing," said Dr. Drake.

That's usually around six months old.

"Call her my special little girl," said Howard.

She says the teeth haven't been a problem in breastfeeding. De'Syiah has the middle name of Miracle, although her mom had planned that before she saw the teeth.

The dentist says natal or neonatal teeth are usually just early baby teeth, although in rare cases, regular baby teeth can follow in the same spot.